Washington Pumas Cut Deer-Vehicle Collisions 76% in 5 Years, Study Predicts
Updated
Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 5
Washington Pumas Cut Deer-Vehicle Collisions 76% in 5 Years, Study Predicts
3 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Aug 5
Summary
A 76% drop in deer-vehicle collisions is projected across Washington's Olympic Peninsula over five years where pumas are present, according to new research in Current Biology.
Pumas hunt ungulates near roads and moderately developed edges, especially at night, pushing deer away from those areas and lowering the risk of crashes with animals weighing up to 300kg.
Justin Suraci, the study's lead author, said the findings show large carnivores deliver measurable social benefits that have been poorly quantified compared with the well-known costs of livestock predation.
Earlier work estimated puma reintroduction in the eastern US could avert 21,400 injuries, 155 deaths and $2.13 billion in costs over 30 years, while a 2021 Wisconsin study found wolves cut deer collisions 24%.